A Chinese Reading of the Daodejing
Description
Many of the brightest Chinese minds have used the form of the commentary to open the terse and poetic chapters of the Laozi to their readers and also to develop a philosophy of their own. None has been more sophisticated, philosophically probing, and influential in the endeavor than a young genius of the third century C.E., Wang Bi (226-249). In this book, Rudolf G. Wagner provides a full translation of the Laozi that extracts from Wang Bi's Commentary the manner in which he read the text, as well as a full translation of Wang Bi's Commentary and his essay on the "subtle pointers" of the Laozi. The result is a Chinese reading of the Laozi that will surprise and delight Western readers familiar with some of the many translations of the work.
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Rudolf G. Wagner is Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Heidelberg.
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Rudolf G. Wagner is Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Heidelberg.
Content
Preface
Introduction
1. The Wang Bi Recension of the Laozi
Introduction
The Problem
Wang Bi's Original Recension of the Laozi
Superimposition
The Division into zhang and pian
Conclusion
Appendix A: Differences between Wang Bi Laozi Receptus and Laozi Text Used in Wang Bi Commentary
Appendix B: Differences between Wang Bi Laozi Receptus and Places Where Fan Yingyuan's Laozi Daode jing guben jizhu Comments That Wang Bi's Manuscript Coincided with the "Old Manuscript[s]"
2. Patronage and the Transmission of the Wang Bi Commentary: Foundations for a Critical Edition
The Problem
A History of Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi: the Evidence
Conclusions
3. Wang Bi: "The Structure of the Laozi's Subtle Pointers," Laozi weizhi lueli, a Philological Study and Translation Together with the Text
Introduction
The Authenticity of the Laozi weizhi lueli (LZWLL)
Wang Bi's LZWLL and the Transmitted Text
The Genre of the LZWLL
The Laozi's Structure according to the LZWLL
The Basis for the Edition of the Text
Wang Bi: The Structure of the Laozi's Pointers
4. A Reconstruction and Critical Edition of the Laozi Text Used by Wang Bi; a Reconstruction and Critical Edition of Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi; an Extrapolative Translation of the Laozi through Wang Bi's Commentary; and a Translation of Wang Bi's Commentary on the Laozi
A Note on the Edition
A Note on the Extrapolative Translation
A Note on the Previous Translations
Wang Bi, Commentary on the Laozi
Notes
Bibliography
Index
